Premillennialism
The Land Promise (2)
In the article immediately preceding this one the importance of the promises that God made to Abraham was pointed out. Basically, these are three: (1) The land of Canaan, Gen. 12:7, later extended to include all the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, Gen. 15:18; (2) Numerous descendants, Gen. 15:5; and (3) in Abraham's seed all families of the earth would be blessed, Gen. 22:18.
It should be pointed out that in answer to the question Abraham asked, God assured him that the fulfillment of the land promise would not be to Abraham personally. Rather, he would die, (Gen. 15:15) and his descendants would receive the land after they had been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years (Gen. 15:13). Thus it was that after 400 years Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt toward the promised land (Ex. 12:40-41; Acts 7:17). Following a 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, entered the promised land. And before Joshua died God pointed out that He "gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein." (Joshua 21:43; Neh. 9:8). Later, during the days of Solomon the Bible says "Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt." (1Kings 4:21). Thus it is that God fulfilled the land promise to the descendants of Abraham.
While it is true that God gave to the children of Israel the land that He had promised, it is important to note that though they obtained the land, the KEEPING of the land was on the condition that they faithfully serve God. There are numerous scriptures that so state. We will give only a few. "And it shall be, if thou shalt forget the Lord thy God and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish." (Deut. 8:19). "When you transgress the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourself to them: then will the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you." (Joshua 23:16). "If you shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them..." (1 Kings 9:6-7). It is obvious that their keeping of the land was conditional on their faithfulness.
Even a casual reading of the Old Testament shows they were not faithful. Please notice these scriptures:.
Jeremiah 7:24 "...they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubborness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
Jeremiah 25:8-9. "...thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and I will send unto Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them..."
Jeremiah 32:22-23. God said that He gave them this land, which He swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; and they came in, and possessed it; but they did not obey His voice, neither walked in His law; they have done nothing of all that He commanded them to do; therefore He caused all this evil to come upon them.
Scriptures similar to these could be muliplied dozens of times. Thus it is clear that God has fulfilled His land promise to Abraham's descendants. Since they were not faithful they forfeited any claim that may be made that the land belongs to them today. - Hiram Hutto